Three Days Earlier
Not a moment after the twenty-minute mark, Tobias started his announcement. The large room felt crowded with all of the nearly three hundred soldiers under his command gathered there. “Soldiers! I am not going to insult you by dressing up the news I bring. A demon prophet has sent me a message. He asks for our assistance in overthrowing Adramelech.” The soldiers murmured amongst themselves. “I have already spoken to you about the Hell-Child requesting our aid. She is the center of this prophecy. She may fail. If that happens, we lose all hope of humanity regaining control. However, if she succeeds, we will have a future to look forward to. We have the opportunity to turn the tides in this war. By helping this woman in the coming battle, we will be fighting for our freedom. I will not hold it against you should you chose to stay and protect the village. I am going to this battle whether you choose to come with me or not. I leave at sunset tomorrow. You are excused to return to your posts.”
As he watched the soldiers shuffle out, he wondered if his siblings felt the pressure of this message the way he did. He read the letter again, as he had over a hundred times since receiving it.
Tobias, the war begins in three days at Saint Lucifer's Hospital. Bring as many as you can. I am asking the same of Zack and Mia. – Prophet Uvall
***
Present Day
Sitting atop a crumbling spire, Dásos looked over the large dunes of sand. The lack of trees surrounding the abandoned church bothered Dásos. Being the protector of Earth, the infertile soils of desert land never sat well with him. He closed his eyes, searching with his soul for any sign of flora nearby. A small glimmer of life in the distance caught his attention.
Jumping from the high spire, he landed gracefully, barely making an impression in the soft sand. Walking into the desert, He searched for the small plant calling out to him. Still within eyesight of the temple ruins, Dásos found what he was searching for.
A small white petal rested within each of eight blue outer petals, giving the flower a star-like appearance. Not long ago, the bloom would have been a bittersweet reminder of his best friend. Now, the blue and white dahlia reminded him of Keshiema. He scoffed at himself for how quickly his attachment to the woman grew.
“Poor thing, you look a little sad.” Kneeling over the wilting flower, Dásos cut his thumb with his teeth, letting his stardust-filled black blood soak the sand below the dying plant. The dark blue and dirty white petals brightened as the flower perked up. The wilting leaves regained their deep, glossy green. Small green sprouts emerged in patches around the now thriving flower. The sprouts grew bushy and long stems grew buds.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
The first rays of sunlight peaked over the vast desert, filling him with energy, as large flowers bloomed, covering the land with stunning whites, deep reds, bright oranges, and everything in between. The once-wilting flower stood proud amongst the field, a lone blue blossom in a sea of color.
With a bitter smile, Dásos stroked the petals of the blue dahlia. “I have given you my strength and purified your lands. Know that if things were any different, I would ask for nothing in return.” A small gust of wind tilted the flower forward in a way that nearly resembled a bow of gratitude and understanding.
Putting his hand to his chest in a grateful salute, Dásos whispered words of appreciation. Digging his hands into the sandy soil, he lifted the flower from the ground, careful to leave the tuber behind.
Closing his eyes, he prayed to the stars. “Please, let her have lived through the night.” In a small puff of green smoke, Dásos vanished, leaving behind nothing more than a few autumn-colored leaves and the sweet earthy scent of oak trees and moss.
***
The barrage of arrows on her ice shield stopped, giving Keshiema a small sense of relief. Adramelech swung his sword with a strength that shook her bones every time she blocked instead of evading.
The fire in her soul roared ferociously, finally able to pull more of her strength. With a heavy heart and a prayer to her stars, Keshiema let the fire have complete attention. If she kept half her focus on protecting Ipos, neither of them stood a chance.
The flame enveloped her forearms and hands, climbing up the sword as she blocked another strike from the king. The flames burst, lashing out in anger. The king stumbled back, dropping his sword and clutching his face in pain. Taking the opening, Keshiema plunged her sword into Adramelech’s abdomen.
? But the Beast of the Apocalypse could not be taken down so easily. Smiling, blood trickling from his mouth, he took the small amount of exposed blade in one hand and knocked her back with the other. The hilt slid from her hands as she fell back. She hit her head against a rock as she landed. Adramelech ripped the blade from his stomach and swung it down, aiming to take off her head. Reflexively, Keshiema put her arms up, knowing they would do nothing to shield her.
A crack of thunder and a powerful blast of aura sent the king flying back. Dásos stood between them. Though small in stature compared to most demons, let alone a giant Chimera, nothing compared to Dásos’s powerful presence. The weight of his aura bore down on Adramelech, who cowered in fear of the deity before him.
“Leave, Adramelech. I would face a thousand banishments if it meant protecting her, so do not test me.” Dásos appeared to have an Ethereal glow as the sunlight pooled into the ravine.
Adramelech trembled, but stood his ground, “Our battle has been decreed by Fate. It must conclude!”
“Not today. You will keep your disgusting paws away from her, Chimera. Or was the punishment we gave you for hurting our priestesses not good enough?”
Snarling, Adramelech retreated, sending a flare of turquoise aura into the air as he limped off. Several soldiers teleported in and quickly vanished with the king in tow.
Shattering ice, followed by a heart-wrenching cry, jolted Keshiema to her senses. The last of her essence from the ice shield returned to her, giving her a small boost of energy. Turning around, she found Ipos collapsed at the feet of a cloaked figure holding a bloody sword.
A protective rage overtook her. Her eyes glowed, and her aura smoked as she raced to save Ipos. The cloaked figure raised his sword, barely managing to block Keshiema’s swing. The hood of of his cloak fell, revealing him to be Tobias.
